Understanding of consumption behaviors in art and cultural sectors for developing successful communication plans

Abstract

know about who consumers are. The collection of information aids in defi ning the scope of the problem, identifi es possible communication strategies, provides information about the target audience, fi nds what messages work best and how they should be framed, determines the most credible messengers, and identifi es the factors that can help or hinder the campaign.2,3 The information will be useful for both individual behavior change communications promoting behaviors that lead to an improved individual or social well-being and policy change campaigns mobilizing public and decision-maker support for policy support or change. 4 -6 This research incorporates three questions corresponding to the research objectives: (1) Are there any variables that explain patterns in art and cultural consumption behaviors?; (2) If those variables exist, are there any relationships among those variables?; and (3) Can people be categorized by relationships found among the variables? According to Grunig and Repper ' s 7 situational theory of publics, this study will explore how people are engaged in art and cultural activities, reveal any stereotyped patterns and salient differences in cultural consumption, and analyze them through a valid clustering of audiences. It will contribute to identifying, understanding, interpreting and predicting audience behaviors in the art and cultural industry, and will enhance planning more effi cient and target-oriented communication campaigns. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEWThe rationale for the approach taken by this study comes from audience research, and attitude and behavior-linkage theories. Audience research represents the importance of knowing audience attitude and behavior for customizing messages to the needs of target audiences. Linkage of attitude and behavior is described by the two widely used theories: the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). With a long history and popularity of the two theories, the association between attitude and behavior is regarded as the appropriate theoretical framework for developing the survey questionnaire. Audience researchThe idea of audience research has been characterized with its emphasis on message receivers. There has been a widespread and enthusiastic call for convergence in theoretical approach and research traditions. 8 -11 This call for convergence has centered on the audience of mass communication.12 One key notion was a re-conceptualization of the audience as an active producer of meaning.13 Morley 14 showed that divergent groups responded in very different ways to certain media, according to where people were situated. Another fi nding was that people seek out media content that reinforced what they thought and to avoid content that challenged their beliefs. 13Existing research supported that sub-cultural formations within the audience infl uenced the extent to which media representations were accepted or not. 15,16 The mass audience has been shown to be signifi cantly heterogeneous, particular...

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